With no income and with the very limited money already spent on hotel accommodations, many jobless Filipinos rely on the help of kababayans based in Kish Island.

Arandia said that despite the hardships they experience while stranded on the island, many Filipinos they have assisted still refuse to return to the Philippines because of the mounting debts waiting for them back home.

“Ayaw umuwi marami na daw nasanla sa Pilipinas,” she said.

Based on her own estimate, Arandia said there could be as many as 2,000 stranded OFWs in the island. -- dzMM